Rangers star Scott Arfield has told how the tragic death of his best friend and former teammate has helped change Scottish football.
Former Falkirk ace Chris Mitchell took his own life in May 2016 at the age of 27 after suffering anxiety and depression.
His family set up charity the Chris Mitchell Foundation, to raise awareness around mental health and wellbeing for players, ex-players and staff working in the Scottish professional football industry.
Arfield, who gave his daughter the middle name Mitchell, said the work in Chris’s memory is helping to save lives.
He said: “I see it in the changing rooms now. People talk, people are far more open.
“There’s no doubt what happened to Chris has changed things massively. It’s changed
the game.”
Arfield joins Chris’s dad Philip and other former teammates and friends of the ex-Scotland under-21 player in a film being released this week to thank supporters of the charity, which includes the SPFL Trust.
Philip said: “The mental health first-aid training offered has been a huge success.
“We’ve got over 400 people trained in all the SPFL clubs in Scotland, and in the women’s professional league and in grassroots football. We set up the Chris Mitchell Foundation on behalf of Christopher.
“Scott lost a good friend and I lost a son. We miss Christopher every day.
“I wouldn’t like to see other families suffering what we’ve went through over the years and this is why we do the work we do in highlighting mental health in football. Things are changing and there’s no going back.”
Three years ago, Chris’s former girlfriend Louise Rooney opened her heart to the Sunday Mail about the talented player’s death.
Despite his success on the pitch, Chris, who played for teams including Bradford City, Queen of the South and Clyde, had a football career blighted by injury.
In his final season as a professional player, he had spinal surgery which he never fully recovered from.
His family believe he developed poor mental health as he struggled to adapt to a new life away from football.
